Master your mind

Most of us go chasing our previous thoughts. We sit down to pray but our mind keeps oscillating through a maze of negativities and fear. As we sit with closed eyes trying to inhale peace, the mind wanders all around- domineering boss, colleagues with whom you have to settle scores, the mother-in-law who has made your life miserable, the servant who gave you a cheeky reply.

Most of us go chasing our previous thoughts. We sit down to pray but our mind keeps oscillating through a maze of negativities and fear. As we sit with closed eyes trying to inhale peace, the mind wanders all around- domineering boss, colleagues with whom you have to settle scores, the mother-in-law who has made your life miserable, the servant who gave you a cheeky reply. The list of such 'unwanted' thoughts is endless.

In the process, we continue to be midgets before our mind and the thoughts it sketches for us. And we unconsciously continue to be dominated by them. It is our mind which tells us to love or loathe, envy or admire, regard or disregard. And we blindly 'obey' our mind without giving a 'thought' on its actual worth. Gradually, we become a slave to our mind.

The mind tells you that you need to eat some junk, even when you are not hungry and you acquiesce even if that means adding on a few calories. It tells you that you must counter your spouse for his irresponsible behaviour and you go running to have an acrimonious squabble, returning back with piled up miseries. It tells you that you need to grease you wallet and you have no qualms in taking a bribe even if it could trigger your stress.

In the battle between you and your mind, the mind generally tends to have an upper hand. You follow your thoughts while the bony structure that germinates them, laughs silently at your malleable composition. Why are we so much chained to our thoughts? Why can't we defeat our mind with pragmatism, reasoning and will power? This is because we do not introspect.

The moment we learn to listen to our thoughts, reason our thoughts and broom out even one 'unwanted' thought, we become liberated from captivity. And this would be a moment to rejoice. The moral: Be the master and not the slave of your mind.